A 33-year-old pregnant woman and a 16-year-old girl were rescued by fire crews and a police helicopter from floodwater in Wargrave after an hour-long ordeal.

The pair drove along Loddon Drive into waist-deep floodwater and became stuck a 4.30pm today

As the women were unsure exactly where they were, fire crews searched for between 45 minutes and a hour and it was not until the police helicopter was brought in that they were found.

One woman was on the roof of the car and the other inside when they were rescued.

Firefighters used a dinghy and with the help of a member of the public with a Landrover got the two women to dry land.

Crew manager Danny Bailey of Caversham Road Fire Station where the water rescue unit is based said: "They were cold, wet and frightened."

And he made the plea that so many firefighters have been making in the last few days: "Please ask people not to drive into floodwater. We are spending all our time out there rescuing people in their cars.

"They want us to get their cars out too, but we are not there to do that. We are there to rescue people.

"They are not driving into streams - they are driving into rivers. It's absolute sheer stupidity."